Show CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CARE NECESSARY TO OBTAIN BEST RESULTS FROM SITTING HEN HE A Chickens Are Usually More Healthy When Kept en Open Range Prepared by the United States Slates Department DepartS Department Depart Depart- S ment of ot Agriculture The sitting hen ben which is us used mo most t for lor Incubation purposes on olf the fa farm MIl should receive n II certain amount mount of care and find attention during the Ilie process of hatching e eggs s. s To a n 4 treat Irot extent the cure care given ell a sitting t lien hen plays an nn Important part In the rhe number and condition of the ot the chicks chicles when wilen hatched With this end cud in view t lie poultry specialists of the United States tates department of agriculture make the following suggestions If several severn I hens are sitting In the I Fame room see that they are kept on fin c the nests allowing them to come off imly once a day to receive rece feed and water the feed to consist of corn curn wheat or both If there are any that ilo do not Dot desIre to come off themselves th they y should be taken off liens Hens usually t ally return to their nests before there Is any danger of the eggs chilling dulling but c If they do not go back Iri lii half an nn hour hourIn In ordinary weather they should be put Pt on th the nest Where a large number num aura her ber of sitters are kept kent in one room It L. L Is advisable to let them ofT off in groups group of from four to six at nt a n time Th Thee The e eggs gs and nests should l II h. examined and cleaned removing all nil broken eggs and washing those that ore are soiled In the latter case the I soiled nesting material should be remoH removed ll and clean straw added Nests containing broken brok 4 en eggs that the hen lien Is nil allowed owed to sit on soon become Infested with mites lice which cause the hens liens to bei become be he- ra i come uneasy and leave leae the nest often causing the loss of valuable sittings I of eggs In mite-Infested mite nests the S lien Ken If fastened In will often be found standing over rather than sitting on I he be eggs Many Eggs Infertile Many eggs that are lal laid l in the late lato S 7 Winter and earl early spring are arl Infertile For or this reason it is advisable to set sel several hens at atthe the same samp time After Atter f. f the have been eggs under the hens I t from five to seven seen days das the time depending de- de et e- e k- k t p pending somewhat t on the color and I thickness of the shells shells shelled I eggs gs being easier casler to test than titan those S j j- j y brown shells they shells they should be ht S tested the Infertile eggs and dead deac I 1 J germs removed and the fertile eggs 3 tint iut ba back k under the hen lien In this way P 1 Iris Ills often possible to put all nfl the e eggs gs 3 F Ir that several severn I liens hens originally started I t Jb 0 o sit on under fewer hens liens and reset t io the others For example 30 eggs are ni-c I c t ret s-ret Et under three hens at nt the same time i i ten Ion under each At the end enel of seven I j Jays days we find on testing the eggs from I 2 f j nil JI the hens that ten arc nrc Infertile f which leaves us 20 to reset which we wedo w C do 10 by putting them under two liens hens n ul have the remaining hen sit over r jl i. i j- j again aln after she has sat only sever seven I t clays t s In this way considerable time S I Ji r ui be saved In ones one's hatching batching oper oper- lons f- f Testing Eggs for Fertility Fertl f An e egg S- S whether Impregnated or not has hus a II stall small grayish spot on the surface sur sur- r 7 face fuco nc of the yolk known as us the germ germ- lIal SP spot spat it As soon anon as a fertile egg is Is 19 f o t placed under a n lien hen or in an 1 development be begins In All eggs I should tested at nt least twice 1 e during the lie pe- pe ij nod Iod of Incubation preferably on the seventh and fourteenth days das and ami th the Infertile eggs g s and dead germs erm re- re I 1 mEed White c eggs gs can an he be tested on 2 f t H. H fourth or fifth du day clity while the de do- det developments t 5 In eggs having brown t J ls often orten cannot be he seen b by the I k toot mot an nn ordinary t. t egg g tester until the 5 seventh nth day lay Dead perms germs erms soon sooss decay Y H nik vo off a n bad odor If allowed to f l' l remain maln unc under er the hen lien Infertile e eggs gs te ol intake good feed for young o chickens and c are often used In the home bonus for culT culinary any purposes es Most 1 incubator i companies furnish testing chimneys k with their machines s. s which will fit or- or rt r- r t- t tI I r lamps Electric or gas lamps may fly be used usel In a box lox with a n holo ft k fH slightly smaller than an nn egg cut in inthe i the time aide tilde of or the time box jox ox nOd and at nt the time same l 1 as the time tI light ht They may also lu In f tested sted b by sunlight using n a shutter or mr curtain with n II small hole in It I. I for hO l light ht to shine through h Homemade Egg Tester ss A good homemade egg tester or 1 candler andler be with can cea a n large barge f O box box or any bo box that Is large to go over a n lamp by removing l ing g the time end cad and cutting a n hole a little larger than the time size of a n quarter In tji bottom of the box so that when it Is set setS set over a n kerosene lamp the hol hole In the the bottom w will be opposite the the- blaze A hole the size of a silver 1 dollar should be 10 cut In the time top of the box to allow the heat hent to escape I The Time eggs are tested with the large end up so that the size of the air Tell 11 may tony be bo seen as well as the time condl condi- 11 lion tion of ot the lie embryo The Time testing should take rake place in a n dark room The Time infertile egg j when held before the time small hole with the time lamp lighted I In Inside Ide the time box hos will look louk perfectly f clear the same as us a n fre fresh h one while a n fertile egg will show a small dark chart spot known as the time embryo with m n a amass mass of little blood veins extending in all nil directions if the embryo Is lIvIng liv lIv- ing lug If It dead and the egg has beer been S i Incubated for at nt l least ast 40 46 hours th the blood settles away from the embryo embry toward the lime edges of the tIle yolk olk forming In some cases an Irregular circle o of ot blood known as a blood ring Eggs vary In this respect some showing I only a streak of blood All Infertile eggs should be removed at nt the time first test The eggs containing strong lIvIng liv lIv- Uv- Uv ing lag are dark and well sell filled up on the time fourteenth da day and show a fl clear sharp distinct line of ot demarca demarca- tion between the air all cell ceIl and the growIng grow grow- ing embr embryo o o while dead germs show only partial development dc and lack this clear distinct outline |